Machine for handling and flaking fish.



. 1. D. CLEVELAND.

-' MAGHINE FOR HANDLING AND FLAKING FISH. I 7 APPLICATION FILED NOV.15, 1911.

1,036,567. v Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

JPVVENTOR iiiTA/Es 535 fl Mani P. D. CLEVELAND.

MACHINE FOR HANDLING AND FLAKING- FISH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1911. L

. Pauented Aug; 2?, i912 SSHBETS-SEEET 2.

IIII W Q Q Ell-35:54

P. D. CLEVELAND. MACHINE FOR HANDLING AND FLAKING FISH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.15,1911. 1,036,567, Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

3SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ITA/E5 5E5 /Yj/ENTUH zmwzm 4 %WM Z be dried preparatory to being pee-lied 1 n plan view tiny improved (5 is 2'1 section taken on line emitted-11cm Io whom may Be it known that l, FRANCIS LAND, s citizen of the United 5; ing at Winchester, in the county sex and State of Massachusetts, vented new and useliul lillschines for Handling and of which the following is s This invention relate to at handling and file-king fish, the ohj invention being to "ta-lie a subdivide said mass into traction? thereof and finully to lay said one, in a series of rows upon 2 as fish fluke in order that .t be automatically and evenly spread said fish flake over the entire thereof. Fish flakes, as Well lino those skilled in the art, consist c with a. reticulotedcentral portion coo; se net Work. Fish sre spread out as event-y as possible upon this screen and the il l with the fish on them are then ordiner placed in rocks in. order that the lie cans. These fish dukes width which takes six rows cit fish, flakes being preferably oi the some length and Width. It is'desirnble also, in a muchine of the class set forth, that the fish should be thoroughly Washed before being spread upon the flakes.

To these ends my invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to are ordinarily of Figure 1 1 machine for flaking fish, the some being hrolrcn luv-.1 to save space and for the sake of clear illustrution. Fig. 2 is u sectional elevation taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. ig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section and broken away to save spziceof a fish'elcvntor and separutor. Fig. l is a plan view of the separator illustrated in Fig. 3. "Fig. is a sectional elevation taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the druivings.

In the drznvings, referring .to Figs. and 8 a frame consisting of side t'rznncs 9, Said frame is supported upon suitable standards l0. l0. Angle irons 11, ll are fastened to the inner sides of the side frames the din-Wings and having e spur sprociret 9 and constitute lee and supports for e endless oh 311 conveyors 12, 12. e less conveyers 12, 12 extend around d 14:, 14-. The sprocket-s shaft 15 journaled in e ironic 10:? the machine e fastto a shaft 1? I e 1.8 on the frame of motion ii n i lley 19 J ill ones or? @filIl-B. The she. 20 has sprocket gear 22 thereto which is con nected log; a s e oket chain 23 to s. sprocket so, said sprocket gear, in turn, being insta led to shaft 25 journaled to rota e hearings the irnme of the machine r 28 fast to thesh-sit rotnted o the pulsprocliet o. 1 2%,

gears 27 and 28.

meshing into it spur g Thus'the sh ley l9, sprocket The sprocket chains 1:2 are connected to r m 1 1 n oo oo we? b. i s 1 gcu e oy oars no, iwem. lj iorincr 0 angle iron and ng rt transversely of the conveyor chains l2 l2.

rid:

These bars are olsced at distances apart substantially equal to the length the flakes 30, 30 and act as pushers to push said flakes along the f 'unie in the direction of the arrow at 2), said flakes being guided between the angle irons 11, 11 against movement transversely of the frame. The flakes 30 are made in the usual manner and consist of frame 31 and a reticulated central-portion 32 of nettin lnnnedistely above t iei lz ke frame is located a. r sry carrier 33 which the fish are ceposit-ed upon the 'i'lulaie us it is being carried thereheneuth. This carrier 33 is fastened to a. shnft Ell journaled in bearings 35, 35 upon ti e frame of the machine and is rotated by means of z: sprocket gear so fast to the slniit nd connected by a grocliet chain 37 to e. sprocket pinion 3S fz'ist to the shaft 1'7. The carrier 38 is pro vided with a plurality of pockets 39, 39 its periphery, said pockets being adapted to contain one fish only and being d-shaped in cross-section with their opposite sides 39, 39 i clined to tliepe-ripher of said carrier end in the direction 01 rototion of said @urrier. Each of the pockets 39 extends transversely of the path of motion of the carrier and said pockets are 211" ranged in a plurality of series, said series.

in the present instance, extending around v.1 2'? fast thereto and preferably the periphery of said carrier in grou s of e of thecarrier without pockets and w ich are substantially equal in length to the space occupied by the ends of two of the flake' frames measured transversely thereof and the vertical flange of the angle iron pusher 29, these spaces 41, 41 in the periphery of the carrier being provided to alme with the end portions of the flake frame as they pass beneath the carrier, so

' that the fish are deposited upon the re-' together with the fish,

ticulated portion of the flakes only. A shield 42 extends around a portion of the periphery of the rotary carrier 33 and terminates at its lower end adjacent to one of the flakes 30. This shield prevents fish from fallin ,ou't ofthe pockets 39 as t-he'same pass downwardly until said pockets arrive at the lower end of the shield, when the fish is pushed along the shield to the lower end thereof and drops out of the pocket off of the shield and onto the flake 30 which is located immediately therebeneath. The fish are taken from a mass of fish and subdivided into fractional portions thereof and then, by means hereinafter described, are separated so that eventually they are fed into the pockets of each series of circumferential pockets one by one. The mechanism and means for thus separating and segregating the fish from the mass of fish until they are fed one by one to the pockets in the periphery of the carrier and to the pockets in each of the series of pockets in the periphery of said carrier will now be described.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4'and 5, but particularly to Fig-3, the fish in mass pass down an inclined chute 43 into a receptacle known as a boot 44 for the elevator 45. The fish are floated down the inclined chute 43 in a stream of water supplied by suitable pipes 88 and, this water enters the boot 44, and thoroughly washes said fish, the water assing out, together with the scales and dirt, through the perforations 46 in the bottom of said boot.

The elevator 45 consists of an endless belt or chain 47 with buckets 48 attached thereto which scoop up the. fish out of the boot 44 and, carr y' them u )wardly in the dime-- tion of the arrow 0 amp said fish into a chute 42, It will be 1111 erstood that the buckets 48 thus subdividet-he mass. of fish 30 between the end frames 58 is fast to a shaft ing outlet the fish is scribed, into substantially equal fractional portions of the original mass of fish deof' these divisions,

which enters the-boot 44 into fractional parts thereof. Thesafractional parts of the original mass of fish are carried by the buckets 48 upwardly in the direction of the arrow 0 and are dumped at regular intervals and in substantially equal amounts into the chute 49 which guides. the fish into a separator 50, the object of the separator bein to subdivide the fractional portions of t e original mass of fish which are carried by the buckets and dumped into the chute 49, as hereinbeforedescribed, into other fractional ortions in equal amounts, to be guided by a p urality of conductors to mechanism which will feed the fish to' each of the series of circumferential pockets on the rotary carrier. The separator 50 consists of a stationary cylindrical casing 51 having a plurality of outletpipes 52, 52, in this case six, broken away to save space in the drawings, these outlet pipes opening out of the bottom of the ey lindrical casing 51 and being divided from each other by V-shaped guide plates 53, 53' in the bottom of the casing 51. Concentric with the casing 51 is a shaft 53 journaled at its upper end in a bearing 54 fast to a supporting timber 55. Av rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 53 by a bevel gear 56 fast thereto and meshin into another bevel gear 57 driven by a pulley 58. The pulley 59 and said shaft has fastened to it another pulley 60 which drives a belt 61, whereby a pulley 62, fast to a shaft 63, is rotated. The shaft 63 has a pulley 64 fast thereto which drives the belt 47, said belt 47, in turn, driving a pulley 65 fast to a shaft 66. I The shaft (33 is journaled in bear- ;ings 67 supported upon the beam 55, and the shaft 66 is 0urnaled upon standards 68 fast to the floor. To the lower end of the shaft 53 is fastened an elbow 69. The chute 49 delivers fish into the upper end of 'the elbow 69 and said elbow constitutes an inlet passage for the fish. The fish are delivered from the lower end of the elbow to the upper ends of the pipes 52, 52, said pipes constitutpassages from the casing. Thus subdivided, as hereinbefore' delivered by the elevator 45, and these fractional portions of the original mass of fish' are delivered in equal time and substantiallv equal quantities to the separator 50 which then, by the rotation of the elbow 69 into wh ch the fish are'delivered, still further subdivides the fish in substantially equal -quantities and delivers them to a plurality of guides or conductors 52, 52. In this case the number of these guides 15 SIX, being the same number as the number of dlvisions into which the carrier 33 is divided lon itudinallythereof-that is, said carrier is ivided by part tions 70, 70 into six divisions. Each as hereintefore set forth iinto pockets 39 of the 56 number'of double series of endas clearly shownin Fig. 2, is divided into two series of pockets, so that the series of pockets which extend circumferentially around the periphery of the carrier side by sideand are separated from each other t artitions 70, are also each subdivic 4d into two series of circumferential pockets which are divided from each other by the spaces ll, ll on the periphery of the carrier adjacent to the opposite ends of said circum ferent-ial series. The fish in each of the pipes 52, 52 now pass down said pipes, aided by streams of water delivered thereto by suitable pipes 71 (Fig. 3), into chutes Y2, which are preferably U-shaped in cross section, and are delivered from said chutes ?2 into pockets 73 in a rota segregator 7a. This segregator 74 has series of pockets 73, 73 opening out .of its periphery, the pockets having radially disposed walls 75, 75 of ogee curvature separating one from the other. The segregator 74, is fastened to a shaft 7 6 journaled to rotate in hearings on the frame of the machine and has a sprocket gear 77'fast thereto and rotated by a chain 78, said chain 78 being actuated by a sprocket gear 79 fast to the shaft 25, The segregator 74: has a shield 80 extending partly around the periphery thereof and terminating near the bottom of said segregator, said segregator being rotated in the "direction of the arrow (Z (Fig. 2). The fish are delivered from the pockets 73 substantially one by one to a guide 81 which is slot-ted at 82, in order that fingers S3, 83 may pass through said slots and push the fish which rest thereonalong the guide 81 and into the pockets 39 of the carrier 33. im-

" mediately beneath the slot-ted port-ion of the guide 81 is a rotary feed member 84;, said I slotted portion of the guide being eccentric to said feedmember. The rotaryfeed member 84 is fast to the shaftQO and is rotated thereby, As will be seen by reference to Fig.

5 1, there is, in effect, a segregator 7e for each of the double circumferential series of pockets in the carrier 33-that is, the segregator 74;, as a whole, is divided bypartitions 85 into six series of pockets 73, so that the o fish, as they are delivered to this segregator, are carried around in the direction of the arrow a, and dropped out of the pockets 73 one by one onto the guide 81 and are carried ,hythe guide fingers 83ialong the curved por- 5 -,-ti0n of the guide 81 and delivered one by one carrier 33. The guide '11 also be noted, is divided into a serles'of chambers 86 by partitions 87, 87. The mini er of chambers 86, the number of circumferential series of pockets 73 and the circumferential pockets 39 is six in each case.

The-general operation of the mechanism lieugnhefore specifically and to some extent 5 in gexrarai described is'as follows: The fish A o be tom of the 1s suopned with evator 45.

ater and the ar pushed around thro. gh the w 1 washed thereby, by the buckets 48 on together with the the fish, passes tin l6 and the fish having thus been washed are carried up by the buckets 48 on the belt 4;? in the direction of the arrow 0 (Fig. 5), and are dumped at equal intervals of time and in substantially equal quantities into a chute so which delivers the fish into tie rotating elbow 6'? c "tutin the inlet of the s parator 5. ish pass down-- 1 the elbow from the upper .elivered from the lower to the casing 51 the separator 50. Mrs the elbow revolves rapidly the fish pass out through and are equally divided among the plurality of pipes 52 constituting outlet passages for said separator and from the pipes 52 they pass along chutes 72, aided by streams of water from. the pipes 71, to the segi'egator segregator 7 has, as before described, a series of pockets therein equal to the number of chutes 72 that is, each of the chutes 72 delivers to one of the series of pockets 73 in the segregator 74. T he segregator Tel carries the fish around in direction of the arrow (5 (Fig. 2). As the fish delivered to the segrcgator T l they will fall into om the 1 of said the pockets 73 Ir chutes T2 and are carried around in the direction of the arrow Z (see Fig. 2), as before stated. The ogce shape of the dividing walls of the segregator assists in turning the fish from a position radially of the segregator to a position extending longitudinally thereof and the fish, as the segregator rotates, are disposed longitudinally of the pockets 73 and of tl e segregator 7e. As the rotation of the segregator 7a continues, the fish gradually slip down the ogee-shaped walls 75 and rest against the inner face of the shield 80; then being pushed along said shield by the partition walls 75 they 1 off of said shield downwardly upon tilt} guide 81 and are pushed sidewise, one by one by the lingers 83 on the rotary member 8 1- into the pockets 39 on the carrier It will be seen that as the slotted portion of j,

ough the perforations carrier 33 will have a fish deposited therein and these fish will be earned around by the rotation of the carrier in the direction of the arrow 6 (Fig; 2) inside the shield 42 and will be pushed b the walls of the pockets 39 ofi of the shie d 42 and onto the flake 30, said fianke moving in the direction of the arrow (1, which is in the same general direction as that of the pockets which, are adjacentto said flake, so that the fish when they are delivered from the carrier move in the same direction with the flake as that in which they were being carried by the carrier when it delivered them to said flake. The flakes are placed upon the frames 9, 9 in position to be carried along by the transverse pusher bars 29, 29' by an attendant and when they have passed beneath the carrier and are covered with fish they are removed from the machine by an attendant and placed in racks to be dried.

It will be seen that the chutes 72, the

, segregator 74 and the guides 81 constitute not only a means for separating the fish and presenting them one by one to the carrier 33, but also constitute a guiding means to guide the fish from the outlet pipes 52 to the pockets 39411 the carrier 33. p

It will be evident that while it is preferable to have the carrier 33 divided into series of pockets longitudinally thereof by means of the partitions 70, 70, yet these partitions may be omitted and still produce a useful structure without departing from the spirit of my invention, so long as the fish are separated into fractional ortions from the original mass and directs into suitable guiding means whereby they are finally delivered by a plurality of delivery chutes or guides to the peripher of the carrier at different points, respectively, longitudinally of said carrier.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. A machine forfiaking fish'having, in

I combination, a rotary carrier with a series of pockets in its periphery, each of said pockets extending transversely of the path of motion of said carrier, means to feed fish into said pockets, a substantial portion of the periphery of said carrier adjacent to the opposite ends of said series being substantially flush with the outer edges of saidv pockets, a series of independent fish flakes and mechanism adapted to move said flakes successively beneath and adjacent to the periphery of said carrier.

2. A machine for flaking fish having, in

combination, a rotary carrier with a plurality of series of pockets in its periphery, tle pockets in each of said series extending transversely. of the path of motion of said carrier and adapted to contain one fish only, means to feed fish one by' one into said pockets, a series of independent fish flakes each common to said plurality of series of pockets and an endless convcyer adapted to move said flakes SllUt sivcly beneath and adjacent to the periphery of said carrier.

3. A machine for flaking fish having, in combination, a rotary carrier with a series of pockets in its periphery, each of said. pockets extendinr transversely of the path of motion of sait carrier, a series of independent flalces, each flake mmsdsting of a frame and a reticulated central portion, the length of said reticulated portion being substantially equal to the length of said series of pockets measured circumferentially of said carrier, substantial portion of the periphery of said carrier adj accnt to the oppd site ends of said series oi jioclcets being Sill} stantially flush with the outer of said pockets, and mechanism adapted. to more said flakes successively beneath and. adjacent to he periphery of: said carrier.

-l. A machine for flaking fish having, in combination, a rotary carrier, with. a phn rality of series of pockets in its periphery, each of said pockets extending transversely of the 'path of motion of sai ciu'rier and adapted to contain one fish only, said series cxtendin around the peri )hery of said earrier side y side, means adapted to divide a mass of fish into fractional portions thereof and means adapted to guide said fractional portions to said carrier and deliver tlmn'i to said pockets at di'llerent points longitudi nally of said carrier, a fish flahe common to said plurality of series of pockets and mechanism adapted to move said flake beneath and adjacent to the periphery of said cm-- rier.

5. A machine for flaking fish having, in combination, a rotary carrier with a plurality of series of pockets in its peri 'ihery, each of said pockets extending transv'erwly of the path of motion of said carrier and adapted to contain fish, said. series extending around the periphery of said carrier side by side, means adapted to divide a mass of fish into fractional portions thereof and means adapted to guide said fractional portions to said carrier and deliver them to said pockets at. diiierent points longitudinally of said carrier, a fish flake consisting of a rattle and a reticulated central portion, said reticulated portion extending across said pockets and mechanism. ada jiled. We said flake beneath and adjacent to the pi riphery of said carrier.

6. A machine for flaking fish having, in. combination, a rotary cdrrier with a pin. rality of series of pockets in its periphery, each of said pockets extending transwnely of the path of motion of said can ivr, said series extending around the periphery of said carrier side by sid tion of the periphery of said carrier adjamay terminating at one end thereof adjacent to said flake, a'ltotary segregator having a so ries'of pockets in its periphery adapted to receive fish, radially disposed walls of an ogee curvature separating said ockets from each other, means to deliver sh into said pockets, a shield adjacent to and extending part way around the periphery of said segregator and terminatin at one end thereof near the bottom of sai segregator, a guide interposed between said segregator and car rier and adapted to ide fish'from said segregator to the oc ets in said carrier and means to pus said fish along said guide into said pockets. u

12. In a machine for handling fish, a rotary segregator having a series of pockets in itsyperlphery adapted to receive fish, radially disposed walls of an ogee curvature separatihg said pockets from each other and means to deliver fish into said pockets.

13. In a machine for handling fish, a rotary segregator having a series of pockets in its periphery ada ted to receive fish,

radially disposed 'wals of an ogee curvature separating said pockets from each other, means to deliver fish into said pockets and a shield adjacent to and extending 7 said pockets at different points lo'ngitudi--.

really of said carrier.

In testimony whereof I'have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing. w1t-nesses.

FRANCIS D: CLEVELAND.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. GoonINo,

SYDNEY E. TAF'I. 

